Last year EUC celebrated its 10th anniversary, but our beautiful building reached an even greater milestone and turned 100 years old. While it’s serving as our campus now it used to be a library and a museum beforehand. Let’s dive into the building’s history from 1923 until now.
Constructing the building for municipal library
The first library of Rotterdam was located in Laurenskerk and as the collection kept growing it moved to a former school building on Hogendorpsplein. When library collection outgrew the second location as well, a new building was built on Nieuwemarkt in 1923, designed by the municipal architect D.B. Logemann.
The building’s architecture gathered both praise and criticism upon its opening in 1923. As written in The Maasbode : “A building, which by its bold lines, by its original architecture, is proof of the creative power of its designer and executor Mr Logeman.". While the opinion in Het Vrije Volk was not as positive : "Architecturally, the library is not successful in all respects. The closed nature of the main façade at Botersloot is an immediate hindrance. Practical considerations likely made it preferable to place the entrances on the Nieuwe Markt, but architecturally it appears as an aesthetic error... ".
Surviving the war
While a lot of Rotterdam’s architecture was destroyed during the II World War, the library was one of the few buildings to survive the 1940 bombing.
As the library kept growing, in 1983 it moved to the building we know now, on Hoogstraat. Since then, until 2012 the building was home to the National Education Museum.
Renovation for the college
In 2011 the Municipality of Rotterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam signed an agreement to house Erasmus University College in the building. Conveniently located in the city centre, close to public transport and other institutions, the former library was a perfect choice for the University College.
After choosing the building as a location for University College in 2011, a renowned Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat was chosen for the restoration and transformation project.
Speaking about the project Erick van Egeraat has said: “The architectural style of the existing 5500 m2 building is a combination of a free interpretation of the Amsterdam School with special expressionist detailing of the facades and the functional structure of the former book depository.
In this design for the Erasmus University College the original building as well as the qualities of the original interior have been restored to their original glory. The exceptional beauty of this building is revealed and restored, with its generous decorations, coffered ceilings, wood panelling, natural stone elements, sculptures and stained glass that had all been fully concealed behind gypsum board walls and lowered ceilings for decades.”
EUC opens its doors
In 2014, Erasmus University College opened its doors to the beautifully restored building. The arched stained glass by Gidding & Sons, stored in the Museum Rotterdam, returned to its original place in the building. In 2015, Gerard Héman's extraordinary staircase ornament was also reinstated.
From 1923 to 2024
For the last 10 years the building provided a beautiful backdrop for our college. Since 2014 our campus saw around 2000 students studying, having lectures, and defending their thesis. We couldn’t have wished for a better location, and we love to see the building filled with liveliness and knowledge of our students and staff.
Take a virtual tour to see the campus now!
Have a look at what our building looks like today. Take a walk through our beautiful campus, showcasing the key areas that make EUC a fantastic place for students.
- More information
Want to visit the EUC building in person? Come and visit us during the Open Monumentendag Rotterdam on 14th & 15th of September!
On that weekend the monumental buildings of Rotterdam open their doors to the general public. More information (in Dutch) can be found here.
